Phil Vickery's quick roast chicken
Phil Vickery's fuss-free midweek meal of marinated chicken thighs and drumsticks takes just 40 minutes to cook - half the time of a whole roast chicken!
Served with new potatoes, and drizzled in a fresh salsa verde - it’s a stress free dinner that will leave you with plenty of time to relax.
Speedy roast chicken with oregano and lemon
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 chicken drumsticks4 chicken thighs4 medium onions, peeled and finely sliced
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 large lemons2-3 tsp dried oregano4-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oilSalt and pepper
Method
1. Place all of the chicken and the onions into a large bowl and mix well together well. Add the lemon juice (not the zest), oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well again. Leave for an hour or so, or up to overnight is fine.
2. Preheat the oven to 200C, gas 6. Once the chicken is marinated, mix well again, place into a baking tray and roast in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until well browned and cooked through (I quite like the onions slightly charred at the edges) - mix the contents of the tray every 15 minutes or so, so it browns evenly.
3. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes, then add the lemon zest and mix well. Serve with the potatoes and basil salsa verde.
Note: Alternatively, for a meat free version, roast long wedges of butternut squash and aubergine with the sliced onions, olive oil and oregano and top with the lemon zest.
New potatoes with basil salsa verde
Serves: 4
Ingredients
750g new potatoes, scraped clean and cut lengthways10 tbsp (2 small bunches) chopped fresh basil1 cloves garlic, peeled and very finely chopped2 tbsp drained then chopped capers2 tbsp finely chopped gherkins4 salted anchovy fillets, chopped2 tsp white wine vinegar2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)Approximately 200ml extra virgin olive oilPinch of dried chilli flakes2 hard boiled eggs, finely sieved
Method
1. On the hob, cook the potatoes in a pan of salted water until cooked. Drain well in a colander and cover with cling film and leave for 20 minutes.
2. To make the basil sauce, place all of the ingredients apart from the egg yolks and oil into a food processor and blitz until you have a chunky puree
3. Add the oil gradually in a thin stream, you may need a little more. Add a dash of water if needed and then finally add the egg.
4. Stir through the warm potatoes and serve in a big dish alongside the chicken